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Product description

Product Description

Full English is a compilation of early, mostly English folk songs, some as old as 500 years or more. They are arranged and performed with respect for the heritage of British folk songs and great attention has been given to the sound and delivery of these fantastic, ancient lyrics which are printed in full in a 16 page booklet. There are haunting ballads like The Girl I Left Behind Me and Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes and fast and furious belters like The Raggle Taggle Gypsy and The Lincolnshire Poacher but every song is presented with an appropriate backing of high quality folk musicianship that makes the album authentic and valid. The Derby Ram is part recorded in a pub and is great fun, Scarborough Fair is intense and powerful and Two Magicians is light hearted and playful. There are rare treats abundant in this magical collection for all lovers of folk and acoustic roots music and it is also a great favourite for children of all ages. The album features Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Double Bass and many more acoustic instruments. The use of Uilleann Pipes, Whistles and Bodhran give the album a flavour of the Irish folk tradition but the passion and delivery of the vocal is Full English.

Review

Full English is a wonderful collection of recognisable classics which have been carefully and beautifully recorded. Because they are all so familiar you don t have to get to grips with the content so you can just sit and enjoy. Williams voice is very attractive, and the featured Uilleann Pipes are jolly without being over-bearingly pipe-y. It is a beautifully balanced assemblage. Full English is a comfortable listening experience which includes exuberant choruses and peaceful ballads. It is a mix which is reminiscent of a superb pub-session. In fact one of the tracks, Derby Ram, was recorded in the Horse and Groom in Nottingham - giving a genuine atmosphere. It is energetic and lively without being exhausting. There s not much to say about the lyrical content of the album, as it is a CD of well-known traditional tracks - the albums foundations are grounded in the traditional songs which Williams mother would sing when he was a child. However despite the familiarity of their content these recordings feel fresh and revitalized. The stand-out track is The Mermaid which is one of the bouncier tracks. It is jovially supplemented with salty cries of ahoy! and the sound of sea-gulls, evoking the ambiance of seaside pubs, a sensation further evoked by Williams gravelly Ronnie Drew-esque vocals. It was the only track I did not know inside out, but by the end of my first listen I could sing the chorus. The other top track is his recording of the Raggle Taggle Gypsies in which Williams creates a jaunty Balkan sound which will get the most sombre of feet tapping. Each song is completely charming. There is a polished and reflective rendition of the Wild Rover, and a beautiful duet version of the Two Magicians - which is made into a mischievous story of playing hard to get. An interpretation of Scarborough Fair which outdoes Simon and Garfunkel s hit by being more brooding, helping to emphasise the impossibility of the thankless lover s tasks, and a King Henry featuring some beautifully lyrical pipes and a sound that grows through the piece demonstrating the tension of the story. Williams vocals range in timbre from well-polished to gravelly and rough, and the tone of the tracks ranges from lyrical ballads to pub rounds. It is a fabulous collection, it s not challenging, but is easy and cheerful listening. Rosamund Woodroffe --Bright Young Folk

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Full English is possibly one of the best folk albums to be released for years.This is because the song choice is just great. Together they form a great programme representation of British Folk song. The song choices are some of the most familiar you could wish for in one package. They are possibly predictable choices but that doesn't matter since that is the strength of the compilation of songs. Familiar songs such as Dashing away with the smoothing iron, John Barleycorn, John Peel, The oak and the ash, Scarborough Fair and the Raggle taggle gypsy are all performed brilliantly with interesting traditional style. There are a number of musicians on the recording and there is a wide variety of instruments.First class recording and easily recommended.

I have just purchesed the C.D of Full English - A Collection Of Traditional Brittish Folk Songs Matt Williams C.D through Amazon from a shop called Full Will Music for £7.00 and that included a personal letter from Mat Williams who is the lead singer of Full English band. I had recieved my order from Amazon.co.uk from Will Music today.

The Songs are really haunting and very enjoyable to listen to and you can tap your feet to the diffrent rythems. The Harmony's are fabuliours in the songs.

This album is great for the value of money. I thaught the title of this C.D was calld THe Full English but no it says Full English.

I loved this collection of English Folk songs - they have been delivered to a high standard and I really enjoy listening to them. add to this the free download to Amazon's Cloud via Auto Rip and it makes for good value for money all round.The musical renditions are very professional in my opinion, and make this collection a really good keeper for those who enjoy traditional English folk songs played and rendered to a high standard.

Just played my new copy of Full English. Mat Williams obviously has a great love of good traditional folk music...it shines through in the playing and attention to detail throughout the album. The CD has a real ambience and is aproachable to people who are not in 'the folk scene'.....my kids even liked it! The only problem was, I didnt get the sausage, egg and beans with it that i was looking forward to!!

I bought this as I was ordering The Full English cd and it was next on the search engine. Great songs well sung and arranged, particularly "Scarborough Fair", "The Oak & The Ash" and "The Girl I Left Behind". Worth seeking out a copy.

The voice are so clear to hear. And the music is light and happy. The album come with a small booklet include all the lyrics in it, which you could sing along with the music.Really enjoy the time listen to this album. In addition, the delivery is fast as speed of light. I really love this album.